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INTERVIEW WITH ARMANDO BONICHE
The growth of the Hispanic population in the United States has created an emerging market for newspapers interested in reaching new readers in this demographic group.
One of the first newspapers to respond to this opportunity was The Miami Herald, which first began running a page or two of news in Spanish in the mid-1960s. In 1987, the paper launched El Nuevo Herald, a Spanish language publication that is now sold separately from The Miami Herald.
Today, El Nuevo Herald reaches 90,480 readers daily, and 99,618 on Sundays, according to the Audit Bureau of Circulations FAS/FAX Report for March 31, 2004 .
Armando Boniche, research manager for The Miami Herald, recently agreed to talk about the population and demographic considerations involved for newspapers contemplating the launch of an Hispanic niche product.
Boniche, who oversees research and analysis of information used for sales and marketing, has been with The Miami Herald for five years. His background is in geography, with a focus on demography, immigration and cartography/Geographic Information Systems.
DINAH : How fast is the Hispanic population growing in the United States ?
ARMANDO : The 2000 Census showed 35 million Hispanics in the country, with a 57.9 percent growth rate that's larger than any other group in the last 10 years. In the year 2050, it's projected that the Hispanic population will number more than 100 million, while the remaining non-Hispanic population will be 317 million and change.
DINAH: What states have the greatest amount of growth?
ARMANDO: Traditionally, we thought the greatest population of Hispanics would be found along the southwest border of the United States , in California , southern Florida and New York . But when you look at (Census findings), the growth rate wasn't in any of those areas. It was in Virginia, North Carolina , Georgia and places in the middle-Atlantic seaboard.
DINAH: What is the critical population mass necessary to consider producing a printed product for the Hispanic community?
ARMANDO : I'd be a liar if I told you I had the answer to that. I don't think there's an exact number you need to have. But there are considerations. How many Hispanics are there in the community, and where are they situated?
You can have 200,000 Hispanics in a metro area, but if they're widespread and evenly distributed, they might not be a community to target. It'd be difficult to get a product out to them, it'd be difficult to find them, and when you have that kind of dispersement of a population, it's somewhat unlikely that they've developed as a community.
On the other hand, if you have 50,000 Hispanics in town forming social clubs, starting up sports leagues at a local park and going to specific churches, there may be a need for a newspaper to recognize their achievements, give them a voice, and provide a way for advertisers to reach the community.
DINAH: Are your readers also reading English language newspapers?
ARMANDO: We're a very mature market in Miami . My father came from Cuba 44 years ago, and is bi-lingual. These are people who consume newspapers. There is a group of people who rely on Spanish language newspapers because they have more comfort with them than with English language papers. The first generation, born here, prefer to read in English. Then, there's the group in the middle who are bi-lingual and prefer to read in Spanish. But it's not just a language issue. It's a matter of content. The focus of content (draws your) readership.
DINAH : Is there an untapped opportunity in producing English language media aimed at second and third generation Hispanics?
ARMANDO: I think there is. With first, second and third generations, Hispanics are not only the people who are just getting here and getting started. They're college graduates who enjoy college football and boxing, and you have to take advantage of that.
The opportunity is not just in Spanish language publications. The Sun Sentinel's principle market is Broward County , and with its population dynamics, a lot of ( Caribbean Island immigrants) are moving there from Dade County . The paper has changed its content to reflect that reality. They cover the cricket matches, the Hispanic theater and chamber activities. Even though they're doing it in English, they're really covering the Hispanic market, as well as a large West Indian community in Broward.
DINAH: Are Hispanics who are reading newspapers economically well off?
ARMANDO: Buying power is driven by the length of residence. Folks coming from Venezuela tend to be the middle and upper middle classes who are on the upper side of the socio-economic scale. That's different from a border town in Texas that's getting a lot of illegal immigrants from Mexico .
DINAH: What do Hispanic readers look for in a newspaper?
ARMANDO: Diversity in content and approach is the key. When I talk to a client, I can tell them what topics are on the radar in Spanish language radio, or in the community. Without an Hispanic staff, how could we put out an El Nuevo Herald? Staffers need to know the community. It's also very hard for an English-speaking Anglo to sell ads to a Spanish-speaking merchant.
DINAH : What else do newspapers need to know about the Hispanic population?
ARMANDO: Take steps to build a bridge with the community, and treat them as one of you. They're going to be there, they're going to grow, and they're going to open stores. If you dismiss the struggling proprietor at the beginning, forget it. When that proprietor becomes successful in 10 years, he'll snub his nose at you. You have direct mail, online, a newspaper that can help them now.
Meet these people, go to their events, get involved in their neighborhood -- because when you build those ties, that helps you understand what they need. Cover them in your newspaper and bring them into your fold. It's easy to dismiss them and say they're too small now. But there's never a size that's too small to matter.